Outdoor Events and Connection at a Distance: Stag's 2021 Year in Review
Photo: Claudine Gossett
The pandemic has been a roller coaster ride for the hospitality industry, and Stag Dining Group was no exception. In 2020 our team shrank like many others, we pivoted our offerings, and with our lease unable to renew we had to say goodbye to our beloved Cerf Club headquarters. And yet, as we reorganized and navigated this ever changing environment in 2021, we had reason to feel hope for the future. Gathering people safely is central to the mission of our experiences and we had the opportunity to further develop practices and offerings to help meet that need in hospitality aligned ways.
The projects we had the pleasure of being involved with in 2021 continue to be as dynamic as our clients. Throughout the year we worked on a variety of projects that included gifting and virtual experiences, cocktail classes, sommelier led wine tastings and culinary experiences paired with virtual entertainment. We produced team-building outdoor offsites and personal celebrations at beautiful and inspiring partner properties for smaller groups, and epic parties and conferences at historic locations around the San Francisco Bay. 2021 was a breath of fresh air (literally!) and we look forward to what 2022 will bring.
2021 Project Highlights
In-person events returned in 2021, with a focus on high airflow venues. It was a breeze (pun intended) to work at iconic San Francisco locales including the Exploratorium, the Palace of Fine Arts, Stable Café and the USS Hornet, with precautions in place to keep guests and staff safe and having a blast.
Photo: New Rev Media
Photo: New Rev Media
For the Traverse 2021 Travel & Expense Festival at the Palace of Fine Arts, we collaborated with our talented production partner Bash Creative to devise strategies for bringing people together safely, including daily onsite rapid testing for staff, mask and vaccination requirements, individually packaged meals, and outdoor entertainment. Our clients and staff greatly appreciated the efforts taken. The conference wrapped with conference-goers rocking out to Chromeo beneath Shelter Co. canopies as the sun set behind the Golden Gate Bridge.
Photo: Claudine Gossett
Photo: Claudine Gossett
Where better to celebrate a rocket company's historic corporate milestone than from a decommissioned aircraft carrier? Taking inspiration from our 2012 Fleet Week extravaganza aboard the USS Jeremiah O’Brien featuring Reggie Watts, in July 2021 we boarded the USS Hornet in Alameda where we commanded speakeasy experiences in the war room; deployed cocktails, tacos, sliders and liquid nitrogen ice cream on the flight deck; and delivered an incredible entertainment line up featuring the Disco Space Shuttle and Grammy Award-winning electronic duo Bob Moses, all against the backdrop of the San Francisco skyline.
As companies around the world embrace a new reality of remote work, Stag Dining has evolved our offerings to help them foster connection with colleagues and clients even at a distance. The response? In 2021, we shipped thousands of boxes to folks around the country and beyond! Our curated gift boxes featuring artisan gifts, snacks and beverages, and house crafted cocktail kits paired with virtual cocktail classes kept our clients in touch and the holidays merry and bright.
Photo: Dines&Co.
If we’ve learned one thing over the past two years (and our decade in business before that) it’s that hospitality connects people like no other industry can, and there has never been a more vital time for creating these connections than now. Stag is dedicated to meeting the challenges of our times head on by providing safe, unique and delicious ways for our clients to thoughtfully connect, celebrate and renew personal bonds.
Whether you’re planning a wedding or celebration, hosting an offsite, launching a brand, or recognizing your team’s accomplishments, let us know how Stag can help execute your vision.
Photo: Claudine Gossett
Photo: New Rev Media
Photo: Claudine Gossett